Palette



Feb. 9, 1943. Y w. A. slLLMAN ET AL '2,310,752

PALETTE Filed Sept. 16, .1940

J2 I Z7 Mmm INVENTORS WILL/AM A. S/LLMAN /LON M. S/LZMAN r BY f l AT ORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1943 PALETTE william A. siuman and non M. sinman, New York, N. Y.

j Application September 16, 1940, Serial No. 357,058

1 Claim. (Cl. 41-5) This invention relates to improvements in artists palettes and the like.

Present-day requirements in the field of the painting art and the like favors the use of a palette having the same color tone as the canvas or other ground upon which the work is executed. For example, if the color tone of the canvas is silvery-gray or white, then the palette should be possessed of the same color tone. Furthermore.

-the palette should be substantially non-porous or non-absorbent, have a good balance and easy to keep clean.

Heretofore, wooden palettes were chiefly employed by painters, particularly since the brown color of the wooden palette was in keeping with the color tone of the canvas employed at that time.l It has been statedl that brownpalettes suited painters before impressionism and is practically of no value to the modernist whom it can only lead into error necessitating needless corrections, since in painting on a .gray or a white ground as modern painters do, and if a brown colored palette is used, the color values must be translated. Due to the opposing tone value of the brown palette, proper or correct working on whitev or gray grounds becomes diicult because the tone value of the brown palette visually inuences the tone of the paint pigment on the palette and makes it appear dierent from what it will when applied to the white ground of the paper or canvas.

The wooden palette on account of being porous is difficult to keep clean as the oil in the paint is absorbed into the wood, leaving the dry and hardened pigment on the surface of the palette necessitating a scraping operation to remove the same unless a paint remover is employed it is practically impossible to leave a thoroughly cleansurfaced palette.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a practical and efficient transparent palette for artists and like persons which presents the same vcolor tone as that of the ground of the canvas or other device upon which the work is to be executed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a transparent palette'having a sheet element incorporated therein or therewith to facilitate the mixing of the paints with regard to their correct tone values and colors and with respect to the color tone of the device to be painted.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a transparent palette to which the v aforesaid sheet element may be readily applied and maintained in applied position.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a transparent non-porous palette made of plastic or unbreakable material.

The above and other objects and advantageous features of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating some embodiments of which the invention may be realized, and in which Y f Fig. 1 is a plan View (partly broken away) of an artists palette embodying the invention in one of its practical forms;

Fig. 2 is a plan view (partly broken away) of another form` of artists palette incorporating the invention.

Figs. 3-6 are typical transverse sections taken on either of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section of a palette in a further modified form.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, Figs. 1 and 2 disclose the palette as having an upper transparent sheet or plate I0, a lower plate or sheet Il and a relatively thin ilexible sheet l2 Y which may be interposed between plates l0 and Il. Fig. 1 shows the palette in one of its most conventional shapes having the thumb opening I3 and recess I4, while Fig. 2sliows the palette in a less conventional form, similarly having a thumb opening l5 and recess I6.

Other than their differences in shape, the constructions of the eXemplied embodiments of the invention of Figs. 1 and 2 may be identical as typified in Figs. 3 to 6.

Cil

Transparent plate IB is preferably made of sub stantially unbreakable material such as plastic composition or so-called unbreakable glass. One of the materials found very suitable for the purpose intended comprises an organic plastic, for example, a polymerized derivation of methacrylic acid, or methyal metacrylate plastic. This material is very much lighter than glass, is flexible, nonbreakable, strong and durable and absorbs very little moisture. Furthermore, this plastic material oifers resistance to most chemicals and oxidation, is free from bubbles and other flaws or defects and when abrased does not leave a permanently marred surface, and its surface is of such a nature as to be self-polishing; its surface tension is such that matter will not readily adhere to it. This plastic material is highly trans parent and has very good light-transmitting or light-conducting qualities or properties.

In the forms shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the bottom plate I8, 32 or 28 may be made of the same material as that from which plate I is made. 'Ihe flexible sheet I2 may be made of paper or any other suitable material, the tone color of which is similar to that of the ground of the canvas or other device (not shown) upon which the paint work is executed. This sheet is arranged or disposed below the transparent plate I0 and is a valuable aid in obtaining the correct tone values and colors in relation to the object being painted. If, for example, the canvas ground is White then a sheet I2 is selected having a white tone color; or, if the ground of the canvas to be painted is burnt sienna then the color tone of the ilexible sheet should be burnt Sienna. A sheet having a neutral gray tone color can be used for most purposes making it considerably more adaptable for color blending than the conventional dark wooden palette,

In Figs. 3-7, the numerals I1, 22, 25, 2'I and 30, respectively, correspond in nomenclature to numeral I0, and numerals I8, 23, 3,2 and 2B, respectively, correspond in nomenclature. to numeral II, of Figs. 1 and 2. Plates IT, 22, 25, 21 and 30 are made of the same material as plate I0.

In Fig. 3, each of plates I1 and I3 have marginal anges I'I, I8' at one end and are hingedly connected together at their other ends by hinge I9. A space 33 is thereby provided tok accommodate sheet I2. A conventional spring latch 2B secured to plate I8 lockingly engages plate II. By manipulating latch 20 the plates II, I3 may be swung apart about hinge I9 to insert or remove sheet I2.

Fig. 4 discloses a single plate having the spaced portions 22, 23 joined integrally at. one of the ends 2I of the plate, the other end of the plate having the mouth 24 through which the sheet I2 may be inserted or withdrawn. A stop (not shown) may be provided at mouth 24 to prevent sheet I2 from falling out of space 24.

Fig. shows plate 25 as having the marginal or peripheral flange 2B and a closure pla-te 32 for retaining sheet I2 between plates 25 and 32. The inner face of ange 26 is preferably bevelled to insure a tight t between it and closure plate 32.

Fig. 6 shows transparent plate 21 and closure plate 28 as being secured together by interlocking ridges 29, 34.

In Fig. 'l the sheet I2 is secured to plate 3U by means of tongues, clamps or tapes 3|,

From the foregoing it can be readily seen that there has been provided a palette comprising two transparent plates made of organic plastic material with a nat non-transparent member therebetween and having a uniform color to simulate the color of an artists canvas, the non-transparent member being positioned between the two transparent plates so that the color of the nontransparent member is visible through either transparent member, any suitable means or instrumentality being provided for maintaining the 4transparent plates together with the non-transparent member therebetween. Thus, the nontransparent element lends its color to either transparent member whereby the eiects of pigments mixed on the surface of either transparent member are determined with respect to their expected effect upon the artists canvas, since the non-transparent element is related to the canvas.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention within the scope thereof, and as many changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

A palette comprising two transparent plates made ofj substantially non-absorbent orga-nic plastic material, and a flat non-transparent membei` having a uniform color to simulate the color of an artists canvas and positioned therebetween, the color of said member being visible through either transparent member and lending its color thereto whereby the non-transparent member is related to said canvas and the effect of pigments mixed on the surface of the transparent member are determined with respect to their expected effect upon an artists canvas, and means for securing said plates together with said member therebetween.

WILLIAM A. SILLMAN. ILON M. SILLMAN. 

